Are you looking for a better detailer? Or considering getting your car detailed? Detail Artisan aims to provide you with some interesting questions for you to not only think about but ask your current detailer or person washing your car.
The photo’s attached are from 2015 new Porsche Cayenne. After explaining to the customer how improper washing methods from the dealership scratched his car he immediately asked what basic things could he do to improve his car.
1| Do you use a multiple bucket & grit guard system for washing?
The standard for detailing today in Australia should mean that any professional detailing or washing your vehicle should use multiple buckets combined with a grit guard system. This should consist of at least 2 but should be 3 buckets.
The idea behind the multiple bucket & grit guards is to create a system where sediment, sand and other debris that is washed and picked up during the wash can be filtered out.
The multiple buckets is quite straight forward, the first bucket is for wheels and arches only. Do not use this bucket for anything else, as the brake dust and metal particles can be very damaging to the paint. The second and third bucket are for washing the rest of the exterior. One bucket is for rinsing your washing medium only, and the other has clean shampoo.
At the bottom of these buckets contain Grit Guards. These are effective cages that stay at the bottom of the bucket. These let sediment, dirt and sand fall to the bottom leaving clean water above the Grit Guard.
This is very important as it one of the easiest but most effective ways of reducing swirl marks.
2| Do they use a sponge?
In addition to the point above, we highly recommending finding out what type of washing medium your detailer or car washer uses. Do they use a sponge? Then stop them immediately. Other then using a kitchen scourer, a common car wash sponge is actually one of the worst things you can wash your car with.
Not only is a sponge abrasive (think sponges used for exfoliating skin) but it does not have the ability to successfully to pickup dirt. In fact a sponge simply holds and absorbs water and the dirt grinds beneath the sponge into the car’s paintwork
We recommend a variety of better solutions. The most cost effective is using a microfibre mitt, these have microfibre noodles on a glove that physically pick up and remove dirt and debris. These are what most good detailers use in combination with the grit guard and bucket combination.
Other alternatives include using and dispensing microfibre towels or a more premium option is woollen wash mitt like this one found here:
3| How do you dry the car after washing?
Continuing with questions 1 and 2, unnecessary friction is what causes a lot of the scratches and defects present over a vehicle. After washing a car, drying off the car is the next important step.
Most people who wash their own car, do one of two things. They either leave the car to dry without wiping it off, this is good in the sense there is no friction so no swirl may be formed. However, it can also be extremely bad as watermarks and left over soap can dry and stain the paintwork forming water marks.
The second thing most people do is use a chamois to absorb and dry the car. A traditional chamois, leather or synthetic, is very grabby. It sticks to the paint with immense friction while it takes off the water. This leads to a lot of swirl marks and marring particularly on cars with softer paint or darker colours.
What we would recommend is switching to a quality microfibre made drying towel. Not only can these be used dry, they hold an amazing amount of water but also glide over the surface with much less friction.
For those wanting to be more thorough, having access to compressed air or investing in a mini blower can help dry the car without excessive friction and it also helps get all the water out of the crevices.
Another safe option is finding a quality spray wax or quick detailers spray, this acts as a fast and sprayable lubricant and use new microfibre towels. This is another quick way to dry the car and if you are not putting another product on will add a quick layer of protection.
For further information or if you would to find out more contact us here.
